The present invention is related generally to wireless communication devices and, more particularly, to a system and method of preventing inadvertent operation of a wireless communication device.
Modern wireless communication devices, such as cellular telephones, are currently small enough to conveniently clip onto a belt, or in some cases, are even small enough to fit within a pocket or bag. At the same time, cellular telephones also include many more features that provide added convenience compared to their larger predecessors. Many, if not all, of these features are accessed and programmed through a conventional manual input device, such as a keypad or a dual-function rotatable switch, which can be used for both scrolling through a menu and selecting a particular option. One example of such a feature is user-programmable volume where the volume settings for the ringer or speaker may be programmed by shuffling through a series of menus and selecting the desired volume using the keypad or rotatable switch. Another feature typically included in conventional cellular telephones allows for programming individual keys of the keypad to recall a particular telephone number stored in memory. Thus, a telephone call to that phone number may be initiated by simply pressing a single key of the keypad.
Although the smaller size of cellular telephones and additional features provide greater portability and added convenience, the combination of the two create the possibility that operation of the cellular telephone may be inadvertently initiated. For example, a cellular telephone clipped onto a belt may be accidentally bumped against an object, causing a key of the keypad to be depressed. In the case where the key is programmed to initiate a phone call to a particular phone number, a phone call will be made inadvertently. Unless the inadvertent phone call is terminated, it may continue for quite some time. Considering that many cellular telephone services charge customers by the length of the phone call, the inadvertent phone call may result in a costly mistake. Similarly, user-programmable settings, such as ringer volume, may be accidentally reprogrammed if the manual input devices are inadvertently actuated. These problems also arise when the cellular telephone is being carried in a pocket or bag and some object is forced against a key on the keypad.
One method that has been used to prevent a key from accidentally being depressed is integrating a rigid cover into the body of the cellular telephone that may be positioned over the keypad when the cellular telephone is idle. However, such a remedy adds bulk to cellular phone and may not be effective in preventing inadvertent actuation of a dual function rotatable switch. Therefore, it can be appreciated that there is a need for a cellular telephone that is less susceptible to inadvertent operation when a manual input device of the cellular telephone is accidentally actuated. The present invention provides this and other advantages, as will be apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying figures.
The present invention is embodied in a system and method directed to automatically activating a key lock function that prevents inadvertent commands from a manual input device from initiating system operation. The system includes a manual input device having a disabled state and an enabled state, and a memory to store predetermined parameters which define conditions that will automatically place the manual input device into the disabled state and also define the conditions to return the manual input device to the enabled state. The system further includes a processor that accesses the memory and analyzes the stored parameters to automatically disable the manual input device when the first condition is satisfied, and enable the manual input device when the second condition is satisfied.